Stripper mechanism for tobacco-stemming machines.



G. F. EOKART.

STRIPPER MECHANISM FOR TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 9,1912. 1 1 1 0,426. Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

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GEORGE F. ECKART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINGIS, ASSIGNOB T0 AUTOMATIC STEMIIEERCOMPANY, or crrrcneo, rnnrnors,

A. GORPQRATIQN 0F DELAW'ARE.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

2 Application filed December 9, 1912. Serial No. 735,727.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. EOKART, citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Stripper Mechanism forTobacco stemming Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to machines for stripping leaves off their stems,and more particularly to tobacco stemming machines having rotatingstripper disks provided with notches affording spaces therebetween forthe stems of the leaves from which the laminae are being stripped. Suchmachines are fully illustrated and described in Letters to me July 9,1912 and November 19, 1912, respectively. In each of these patents Ihave shown a machine having a pair of constantly rotating stripper disksprovided with peripheral recesses which will coiiperate, when the disksare in certain position, to form openings through which the stems andinidribs may freely be slid while the leaves are being stripped fromthem. In operating stripping mechanisms on this principle, provisionmust be made for automatically adapting the mechanism to. variations inthe sizes and shapes of the stems, or to the corresponding variations inform and thickness resulting from the simultaneous feeding of two ormore stems through the stem-passing opening. In my issued Patent No.100-1506 already referred to, Figures -14- and 15 show a suitable methodof mounting the stripper disks whereby they may make these neededadjustments to the size and contour of the stem or stems which are beingfed through the machine. In operating stripping machines provided withself-adjusting stripper disks arranged in the manner thus disclosed, Ihave found that the flexible mounting of the disks'interferes with theirbeing driven with sufficient firmness to insure a suitable alignment ofthe notches which cotiperate to form the stem-passing openings.Consequently, the stems are apt to catch between the improperly alignednotches, thereby interfering with the rapid, continuous and economicaloperation of the stripping machines.

The object of my present invention is to provide guides which willmaintain each of the stripper disks in a substantially fixed relationcircumferentially with respect to its shaft, whereby a proper alinementof the notched portions of the said disks may readily be secured, whilestill permitting these coiiperating disks to adjust themselves radiallyof the shafts upon which they are mount- 1 ed, so as to allow forvariations in the stems machine.

I accomplish this object by the construe tion shown inthe accompanyingdrawings, in which Patent No. 1032192 and 1004506, granted cooperatingstripper disks mounted upon a Fig. -1- is a plan view of-a pair of shaftequipped with the auxiliary guides of my invention. Fig. 2- is anenlarged side section through Fig. 1' along the line EE. 'Fig. 3 isan'enlarged frag' mentary detail view of the central portion of one ofthe disks, partly in section.

In the drawings, the partly overlapping stripper disks 1 are mountedupon shafts 2:

which shafts are continuously rotated in opposite directions when themachine is in operation. Each of the disks is provided with peripheralnotches 3 spaced at uniform inter vals so that these notches willcooperate when passing the line 4& connecting the centers of the disks,to form a comparatively small opening 5, through which opening themidrib or stem of the leaf may, be drawn in a direction parallel to theshafts 2, whereby I the sharp edges of the notches 3 will strip or shearthe laminae of the leaf from the said midrib or stem.

' disks 1 could be secured rigidly to the shafts 2. However, the sizeand shape of the stems vary conslderably in practice and this vane tionis further augmented occasionally when two or more leaves are fedsimultaneously or overlappingly through the machine- More over, the lostmotion attributable to the gradual wear on various parts of themechanism, together with anyflexing or distortion of the parts due tostrains upon the same,-

respect to the shaft carrying the same, this being preferablyaccomplished by the construction shown in Figs. 2- and 8. In thisconstruction, the disk 1 has a central bore 6 considerably larger thanthe outside diameter of an externally threaded sleeve 7, which sleeve isfastened non-rotatably to the shaft 2 by a key 8. The sleeve 7 isenlarged at one end to form a flange 9, while a collar 10 is screwedupon the threaded portion of the sleeve 7. Between the flange 9 and thecollar 10, I clamp a ring 11, which ring is narrowed adjacent to itsperiphery so as to providean outer annular passage between flange 9 andring 10, slightly wider than the thickness ofthe disk 1, whereby thedisk 1 will be free to slide between the said flange and ring. Upon theadjacent surfaces of the flange 9 and ring 11, I provide radiallydisposed recesses 12 adapted toaline with one another and extendingoutwardly to the said narrowed portion of the ring 10. Each of theserecesses is of a suitable diameter at a point midway of their radiallength to read ily house a spiral spring 13 radially disposed within thesame, but is flared in diameter peripherally of the ring and flange ateach end, whereby the spring is enabled to move somewhat out of itsnormally radial position. This movement of the spring will permit thedisk 1 against which the spring bears at its outer end, to movecircumferentially with respect to the hub of the wheel bearing the disk;but the flexing of the spring about the narrowed central portion of thecooperating recess portions will cause it to return to its radialposition upon cessation of the strain which caused the flexing. Thus thesprings 13, of which there are preferably four, will tend to keep thedisk 1 not only concentric with the shaft 2, butalso in a fixed positioncircumferentially of the shaft, whereby the notches 3 are maintained intheir cooperating relations during the operation of the machine. Inpractice, I have found, however, that the flaring. of the y rooves orrecesses'in which the s' rin s are housed will permit the latter tooscillate from their normal radial. positions, so that it is difficultto maintain the desired circumferential alinement of the notches in thedisks when leaves having stems or midribs of greatly varying sizes aresuccessively fed through such a stripping machine. Consequently, theleaves are apt tobe damaged and theedges of the notches may catch on thestems, thereby interfering with the rapid operation of the machine. Toobviate this difficulty, I provide auxiliary guide members 14:, eachbeing preferably in the form of a radially disposed rod of heavy springsteel wire having its outer end 15 bent parallel to the shaft andinserted in a perforation near the outer edge of the disk, while itsinner end is free to slide in a radial perforation 1-6 in the collar 10.Being thus slidably 1nounted in the collar 10, the guide lfk will freelypermit a radial motion of the disk 1, as such motion will place nostrain upon the guide. However, any circiunferential. movement of thedisk relative to the collar 10 (and hence with respect to the sleeve 7and shaft 2 to which the collar is non-rotatably fastenedl will flex theguide 1 1, and the resiliency of this guide will return the disk to itsformer position upon cessation of the strain producing the aforesaidcircumferential movement of the disk. B var in the diameterof the guiderods l-l, or the material of which they are made, the resistance offeredby these guide rods to a circumferential motion of the disk relativelyto the rotating member carrying the same, may be made as powerful asdesired without altering the stiffness or resiliency of the springs 13.Indeed, by

making the recesses 12 wide enough circum ferentially to fit the springs13 rather loosely at all'points of their length (as shown by dottedlines 15 in Fig. 3) the radial alining may be done entirely by theguides 14, leaving the springs 13 only to maintain the desiredconcentric relation between the shaft 2 and thedisk 1.

'While I have shown and described my invention in a certain embodiment,I do not wish to be limited to the exact details which I have picturedormentioned, it being obvious that numerous modifications may be made inthe same without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example,the number of radial guides engaging each disk may be varied if desired,as also of the springs interposed between each disk and the rotatingmember carrying the same. So also the guides which restrict the motionof each disk may be made of other resilien materials than spring steel.

I claim as my invention:

' 1. In a machine of the class described, the

combination with a pair of shafts rotatable in opposite directions, of apair of coa'cting peripherally'notched stripper disks mounted upon saidrespective shafts, each disk being movable both radially andcircumferentially with respect to the shaft upon which it is mounted; aplurality of spring members adapted to hold each disk concentric withits shaft; and guiding means for restricting the motion of each diskwith respect to its shaft to a substantially radial movement.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a pair ofoppositely rotatable members, a pair of disks carried by the same havingcoacting peripheral recesses, spring members tending to maintain thedisks concentric with their respective carrying members, and a guide forrestricting the motion of each disk with respect to its carrying member;the said guide being secured at one end to one ofsaid parts and havingslidable engagement at its other end with the other part.

3. A machine of the class described, including a pair of oppositelyrotatable shafts, a pair of disks having coacting peripheral recessescarried thereby, a plurality of springs interposed between each disk andits shaft, and tending to maintain said parts concentric, and flexiblemembers engaged with said respective parts for yieldingly resistingrelative rotary movement thereof.

4:. A machine of the'class described, including a pair of oppositelyrotatable shafts, a pair of disks having coacting peripheral recessescarried by said shafts, a plurality of springs interposed between saidmembers for maintaining the same concentric, and a plurality of flexiblemembers slidably engaged with one of said parts and secured to the otherthereof for resisting relative rotary movement thereof.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a pair ofoppositely rotatable members, a disk carried by each, said disks havingcoacting peripheral recesses, spring members tending to maintain eachdisk concentric with its carrying member, and a plurality of flexiblemembers each having radially slidable engagement with one of said partsand secured to the other thereof for resisting relative rotary movementof each disk and its carrying member.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a pair ofoppositely rotatable members, a disk carried by each thereof, said diskhaving coacting peripheral recesses, spring members for maintaining eachdisk concentric with its carrying member, and a guide of resilientmaterial for restricting the motion of each disk with respect to itscarrying member; each guide being secured at one end to a said disk andhaving slidable engagement at its other with the rotatable membercarrying said 7. A' machine of the class described, including a pair ofoppositely rotatable shafts, a pair of disks having coacting peripheralrecesses mountedv thereon, and movable radially and rotatably relativelythereto, a plurality of springs interposed between each disk and itscarrying member for maintaining the same concentric, and flexibleguiding members each secured to one of said disks, and having radiallyslidable engagement with thecarrying member for said disk. I

8. A machine of the class described, including a pair of oppositelyrotatable shafts, a pair of disks having coacting peripheral recessesmounted thereon; av

plurality of springs interposed between each disk and its carryingmember for maintaining the same concentric, hub members on each of saidshafts between which its disk is guided, and a plurality of flexiblerods each secured at one end to a disk, and having radially slidableengagement with one of said hub members, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a tobacco stemming machine, a pair of oppositely rotatable shafts,a pair of coacting stripper disks carried thereby, ahub on each shafthaving an annular flange, a member mounted on each hub opposing saidflange, each disk disposed between and guided by said member and saidflange and movable radially and rotatable of said hub, a plurality ofradially disposed springs mounted in recesses in the opposed faces ofsaid flange and said member and engaging in radial recesses in said diskfor maintaining the latter concentric with said hub, and a plurality offlexible rods each engaging at one end in an opening in said'disk and atits other end and slidably engaged with said hub as and for the purposespecified.

10. In a tobacco stemming machine, a pair of oppositely rotatableshafts, a pair of coacting stripper disks carried thereby, a hub on eachshaft having an annular flange, a member mounted on each hub opposingsaid flange, in the opposed faces of said flange and said member andengaging in radial recesses in said disk for maintaining the latterconcentric with said hub, and a plurality of flexible rods each engagingat one end in an opening in said disk and at its other end slidablyengaged with said hub as and for the purpose specified.

11. In a tobacco stemming machine, a pair of oppositely rotatableshafts, a pair of stripper disks having coacting peripheral recessesloosely mounted on said respective shafts, means on the latter forpreventing movement of said disks longitudinally thereof and affordingguides between which said disks are radially and rotatably movablerelatively thereto, elastic devices en- In testimony whereofl havesigned my gaged with each disk and said means on its name in presence oftwo subscribing Witcarrying shaft for yieldingly resisting relanes'ses.

tive rotary movement thereof, and yielding means interposed between eachdisk and its Witnesses: carrying means for maintaining the same ELMERBRADER, concentric. E. BENTLEY HAMILTON.

GEORGE F. EGKART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained 1'01 five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

